Age of Tiberian
by Spartan13047
Summary: A parasite from another world crashed down onto Remnant. The kingdoms remain blissfully unaware as the green crystal continues to consume the environment. It will continue to feast on this new world uninterrupted. That is until two forces familiar with the green crystal start fighting anew. Time is short for the small green planet. Soon it will take on a different green.


A green light flashed through the midnight sky. An asteroid laced with a strange green mineral crashed down into a similarly coloured forest. The green mineral wasn't of this planet; it wasn't even of this dimension. With a new seed rooted, it began to slowly spread. Grass and trees wilted from the sudden lack of nutrients needed to stay alive. The green crystalline mineral expanded through the forest, infecting the local flora and fauna.

Within several days it made a foothold in the local ecosystem. The gases that were excreted from the crystals and tainted plantlife further pushed the mineral out, infecting new host organisms. Creatures began to crystallize and die from the infectious crystals. Even the creatures of darkness succumbed to the green crystal. This new threat remained undetected as it expanded. The new age of Tiberium had begun for Remnant.

* * *

A man pushed his way through the underbrush he found himself in. He wore a heavy set of armour with a fully enclosed helmet; all coloured white. His visor gave off a slight blue glow as he continued through the brush. He held an advanced rifle in a low ready position. He silently trekked through the forest. Until he came across a large clearing.

He raised his rifle and scanned the clearing. Once he was satisfied it was clear, he walked out into the middle of it. He raised his left hand to his ear while he slung the rifle over his shoulder. He tapped the side of his helmet which activated his EVA unit and opened a channel on all radio frequencies. "Command, do you come in?"

Static followed afterward. He spoke into the microphone in is his helmet again, "Command, please come in."

Once again static followed afterward. He sighed and tried one last time, "Is there any GDI personnel in the area? Someone, anyone, please, respond."

He tapped on his helmet again and shut down the channel. He unslung his rifle and did a slow three-sixty turn and took in the forest around him. "At least it's beautiful around here. Maybe an undiscovered Blue Zone somewhere on the planet."

Subconsciously he wiped his chest plate. His hand going over the swooping eagle on the right of the chest plate. Roberts was printed on the left of the chest plate. He dropped the rifle to his side as he sighed again. The sudden sound a twig snapping brought him back into reality. He whirled around to the source of the noise and raised his rifle.

A black mass of fur walked out of the treeline. It's bone plate a pristine white with red lines etched into it. Its hate-filled red eyes glowed with ferocity. It stalked forward on all fours towards the man. The creature somehow reminded him of a werewolf from the old fables and fairy tales.

It charged forward at a blinding pace. But with a slight hum from the man's rifle and a loud crack, a slung soon found itself tearing through the creature's head. It fell forward and slid a couple of feet before stopping. The man chuckled as he looked around the clearing for any more contacts. "Nice faceplant."

With no other hostile wildlife around, he turned around to examine the corpse. Only to find it slowly decomposed into ash and get carried away by the wind. He stood slackjawed as the remainder of the body disappeared. It took a couple of seconds before he finally composed himself. "Well, that's new. Never seen anything do that before."

When he satisfied he wouldn't be attacked by monsters that rapidly disintegrated upon death, he set up a small camp. A small fire crackled in the middle of the clearing with rocks surrounding it. With no sleeping bag or any survival equipment, he made do with just keeping his armour on. He cooked one of the few rations he had as he made a plan in his head. He sat with his helmet off, revealing his short black hair and brown eyes. His most distinct feature being three large scars running from one side of his face to the other.

With his self-heating meal done, he ate it before anything else. He watched the sun as it slowly disappeared behind the trees. He gently laid his rifle on the ground. He picked up his helmet set that on top. He stoked the fire before he laid down for the night.

* * *

Roberts sat up quickly and forcefully. His breathing was fast and shallow. He quickly looked around the clearing to find it pitch black aside from the glowing embers of the fire. He felt around in the darkness until he finally came upon his stuff. He picked up his helmet and put it on. He strapped it into place and activated the night vision function.

He looked around the clearing with the green glow illuminating everything. He shuddered from the nightmare as he stood up. His armour felt cold to the touch as he stretched out the soreness. His joints popped as he stretched his arms and legs. He rotated his torso, either way, causing his back to pop several times. He sighed in relief as he stooped down to pick up his rifle.

He stomped out the remaining embers before he looked to the sky. What he saw shocked him. The moon was shattered into several large chunks. But they somehow remained in orbit around the main body.

He gritted his teeth and seethed, "Goddamn aliens. Damn Kane. Damn Nod. Damn them all to hell!"

His voice echoed out through the forest. Something stirred within the forest. Before long the rhythmic beat of paws and claws hitting the ground came into earshot. Roberts raised his rifle and readied. A few minutes later those red hate-filled eyes lined the trees. He could see the outlines clearly through trees thanks to his night vision.

He hit a switch on his rifle which caused it to hum more steadily. Four laser sights lit up on the barrel of his rifle as he saw a new creature enter the clearing. It let out a howling roar before it started down Roberts. It was a large bear that was cover in bone spikes. He snorted in contempt as he squeezed off two rounds. One punched through the bear's chest and the other through the head.

With the death of the bear thing, everything behind charged forward. Without missing a beat Roberts put slugs downrange. Each hitting a target and killing it instantly. The piling of bodies made it difficult to see what else was coming. But he had to reload, fast. He dropped the current magazine from the rifle and pulled out a new one from a hip pouch.

With a quick racking of the bolt, he was prepared again. He quickly changed to his left because he heard something from there. He kept trained on the treeline as more outlines appeared. Although there were not as many as before. As the creatures came into the clearing, they slumped over dead. With no other sounds coming from the forest, he assumed that small horde was dealt with.

He flicked the switch on his rifle and the hum slowed to silence. The thrum of jet engines could be heard overhead. He spotted the navigation lights and the spotlight long before the aircraft spotted him. He tapped the side of his to quell the blue glow from his visor. He retreated into the treeline a fare way in. That way he could see who he was dealing with before they could see him.

He watched the silver and black aircraft descend into the clearing he was in. It looked rather bulbous in appearance too. An older blonde woman wearing a pencil skirt and dress blouse stepped off the craft first. Her heels dug into the ground a little ways and the loose strands of her hair thrashed violently. She had a riding crop at her side as she looked into the darkness before her.

Following her was a man with spikey silver hair. He wore a black suit with a dark green vest underneath. He held a cane in his left hand and walked with it. Despite him having no physical disability to require it. The man walked past the woman stared into the darkness as well.

"This is where the sounds of gunfire came from. Plus the small surge in Grimm activity," The woman said to the man.

"Then that means whoever was here isn't too far away."

The four laser sights had since been turned off from that small horde. Roberts kept his rifle trained on the man's chest as he evaluated the situation. Neither seemed like a threat. But since both had come out with practically no weapons to speak of, something seemed off. After having fought the Brotherhood of Nod for long enough, you tend to expect things aren't as they appear.

As Roberts weighed the options in his head, the man in the suit called out, "Whoever is out there, we can help you. We can provide temporary shelter and food."

"That doesn't seem wise Ozpin. We have no idea if anyone's out there. And if there is, we have no idea if their dangerous or not."

"Come now, Glynda. We have to help everyone we can. That's what Huntsmen and Huntresses do. It's what helps keep people's morale up. That being said it is strange that there were so many Grimm tonight."

With the two distracted by each other Roberts decided to disappear deeper into the forest. Quietly making his way through the dark forest, he came upon a small cliff face. Using the jump jet, he cleared the face and landed on the small plateau on it. In a kneeled position with his rifle raised, he scanned the area. Across the plateau stood a continuation of the forest. With nothing in sight, he lowered his rifle.

Standing up he walked away from the cliff and across the plateau. He entered the forest yet again. Before long he was leaning against a tree. He took deep breaths as he stared into the treetops. His nightmare felt too real. Soon reality came crashing back down as he heard those familiar jet engines passing overhead.

Without a second thought, he followed the noise as best he could. Sprinting through the forest until he came upon a massive cliff. He knew his jump jet wouldn't be able to get him up that cliff. He started to scout around for another way up. It wasn't until the sun started to peek up over the horizon that he found a narrow path to the top. He cautiously ascended the path, keeping his footing in mind.

* * *

Roberts reached the top of the cliff to find a large area devoid of trees. Imbedded into the ground were several silverish metal pads. He noticed an insignia engraved into each and every one. After the quick look, he went towards the big tower that was in the distance. He kept his rifle in a low ready position as he walked.

Several minutes later he arrived on the outskirts of what looked like a campus. With a quick examination of the few buildings in front of him. They were four-story tall brick buildings. Each story had a line of windows from one corner to the other. The building he was looking at activity in front of it. So he ducked into the trees and activated the zoom function on his helmet.

He scouted the area in front of the building he was facing. He spotted teenagers in uniforms passing each other on the small path. He couldn't tell what this place actually was just based on what little he has seen so far. But based on the attire of the teenagers he wagered it was some academic facility. He heard a bell ring and all the teenagers make hasty retreats further into the campus.

With no one in sight, he silently stalked towards the building. With his jump jet activated, he was propelled upward. He managed to get hold of the gutter. But knowing it wouldn't support his weight, he planted his feet against the wall. He pushed himself upwards over the edge of the roof. He climbed the rest of the way and walked quietly to the other side.

He kneeled down on the roof and looked over the campus. It was sprawling with buildings of all shapes and sizes. With the zoom of his helmet, he surveyed the area. Seeing nothing of note other than some statues and the elegant construction; nothing really stood out. Aside from the large tower situated in the back of the campus.

The top of the tower was capped with multiple small conical roofs. Under those roofs were six green lights. The other interesting thing is the smaller tower in the middle of the campus. It wasn't as elegant as the main tower. But it held some significance since there were some people still milling around it. "It's not polite to spy on my students."

Roberts swung around in an instance and raised his rifle. Behind him stood the same man and woman from the forest. Roberts' finger tensed slightly on the trigger as his eyes flicked between them, "Who are you?"

"I'm Professor Ozpin. This is my academy. Mr. Roberts, I presume?"

"That's of no importance to you."

"On the contrary, I have a right to know who is spying on my students for possibly malicious means."

Roberts stared at the two in front of him. He gestured with his rifle to the woman, "And she is?"

"She is also a professor of this academy. Glynda Goodwitch. She is our combat instructor."

Roberts' grip tightened on his rifle when Ozpin said, combat instructor. "Why do you need a combat instructor in an academy?"

"To combat the creatures of Grimm of course."

Roberts never let his guard down, "And they are?"

"The creatures you fought in Emerald Forest."

"How do you know that was me?"

Ozpin brought his cane forward, placing both hands on top of it as he put the end against the roof, "Because no normal human can take on that many Grimm and come out alive. Only Huntsmen, Huntresses and highly trained military personnel are capable of such a feat. And you look quite adept at killing. Although your armour and weapon are foreign to me. Tell me, are you any chance associated with the Kingdom of Atlas? A new military program perhaps?"

Roberts was suddenly confused. The Kingdom of Atlas? Huntsmen and Huntresses? And those creatures. It sounded like he stumbled into a high tech fairy tale. With his only option, he pushed forward. "What I do, who I work for and what they are, are all classified."

"Well, that's a shame. But please, come with us. I would like a chance to talk with you more. You seem like you're lost."

After several tense seconds, Roberts relented and lowered his rifle. "Fine."

Ozpin nodded in appreciation and looked to Glynda. With the activation of her semblance, they left the roof.

* * *

Roberts stood in the middle of the top floor of the main tower. In front of him sat Ozpin behind a glass desk. Glynda on Ozpin's right. The gears above them click away as Roberts stood in front of them in a rigid stance. His rifle slung on his back. With the press of a holographic button, Ozpin summoned a screen.

A ring tone sounded from the screen and a picture of a man. He looked well dressed and had black hair on top of his head and grey at the sides. Seconds later the man in question answered the call. "Ozpin. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Good afternoon James. While this isn't a social call, I hope you would be able to help identify this man."

The man named James squinted on the screen. A few seconds passed before James spoke up, "I can't say that I know this man. His armour configuration and the insignia are both unknown. Where did you find him?"

"We found him on a roof of a dorm overlooking the campus. But that's not the first time we learned of his presence. We found his work in Emerald Forest. He was able to clear a small horde of Grimm all by himself. With no injuries to speak of."

Suddenly Roberts' EVA unit crackled to life. Starting off there was just static. But before a long voice came through, staticky but a voice. "An-ll-DI-sonnel-ease-pond-Thi-ander-Hill-ablished-all base-forest. An-GDI ass-res-end-coordin-immdia-ick-up."

It came through all patchy. It was hard to decipher what was being said. He was so tuned out from the others around him that he failed to notice a question directed at him. James made the question asked the second time more forceful, "State your name and rank soldier."

"Liam Roberts. Lieutenant," Liam replied begrudgingly now that he knew that James was general. Liam relaxed a little as Ozpin seemed to nod as his response. But James was the one who spoke up, "Who are you affiliated with?"

"Classified," Liam immediately responded as he put his hands behind his back. The General seemed taken aback by that. After a moment his face became neutral. "I will ask again. Who are you affiliated with?"

"With all due respect General, you are not my commander. Everything is on a need-to-know basis," Liam responded matter-a-factly. James narrowed his eyes at Liam in contempt. But Ozpin spoke first, "If that's the case then I offer you room and board in this academy."

"What would that entail?"

"What are you talking about Ozpin?! He's obviously a security risk!" James shouted from the screen. Ozpin only nodded in understanding. "I understand the risks, James. I wouldn't offer it if I didn't think we would be able to contain him if he went rogue. I appreciate your assistance with this matter James."

Before James could even respond, Ozpin disconnected the call and looked to Liam. "Now about my offer. It would entail using your talents. Either it would be going out to clear some rather problematic Grimm we would hesitate to send students after; alongside going on missions with students. Or if the council of Vale needed someone for more sensitive missions. After each mission, you would be required to either report to me or the council."

"Why?"

"Well Mr. Roberts, from what little you've shown, you've proven to be quite a resourceful and brilliant individual. I would like you to help pass that on to my students," Ozpin replied. Liam sighed as he brought a hand to his helmet. He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, that wasn't what I was expecting."


End file.
